Evaluating a Web-based Course Management System

This study evaluated a custom-designed course management system in use at a public institution in the United States. While focusing on gathering information relevant to the continued development of the course management system, this study sought to identify the relation­ship among user characteristics, usability factors, and acceptance of the course management system in order to clarify the application of the Technology Acceptance Model to this unique situation. This study also sought to identify usability problems with course features. The data indicated that three usability factors, ease of navigation, ease of learning, and visual perception were significant predictors of acceptance of the course management system. The usability of features was examined using both Likert-scale items and content analysis of open-ended survey questions. The content analysis of the open-ended items revealed several specific problems that were commonly encountered while using specific course features. Based on these findings, several recommendations are made toward the improvement of the custom-designed course management system and also toward the improvement of the survey instrument for future use.